An update on Mia Gianna

Photo taken a year ago today. (What???)

Gianna is doing great.  

She took the move in stride.  At first, she wasn't in love with the new house (she calls it "the barn house"), but she loves everything else in her life.  She jumped right into her new school and didn't have any issues at all. In fact, there has been no sadness at drop-off, no crying, no sleep issues and no bathroom issues. She's done so well.  Of course, she is three years old and I think having her family (Bode) around helps with everything.

She has the most fun every day just hanging out with her big brother.  She often just follows his lead, and is always happy to just do what he wants to do (jump off the couch 500 times? Sounds great!). They are close.  They are so close.  They do everything together right now: eat together, bathe together, go to school together (separate classes but they are near each other), swim together (lessons), and sleep together (in the same room). It is beautiful and I really just hope that they remember these special times when they are older. 

(The only problem (if you want to call it a problem), is that I tend to lump Gianna and Bode together, as if they were the same age.  Gianna has always been a fast learner, keeping up with her older brother.  In fact, I don't remember a time, ever, when Gianna was upset because she could not keep up with Bode. She just always did. And so I forget that behaviorally and developmentally and all "ally's"  she is actually 21 months younger.  It is something that I need to work on.)

Gianna is a sweet, sweet girl. She loves caring for her baby dolls, hugging them and feeding them.  She loves her real-life baby doll, Nico.  She is very sweet to him, patting him on the head and giving him praise. She has always had her own made up special names for him ("xie xie" and "schnoofy").  She wants to please, and as much as I hate to put that in writing, it is a trait of hers.  If she can make someone (me) happy, then she is happy.

She loves shopping.  Bode and "Daddy" go skiing on Saturdays.  Gianna goes shopping with "Mommy" and Nico.  She loves it.  She happily goes to Target, to the grocery store, the book store or to a clothing store.  She adores shopping for dresses and gets positively giddy when she gets to buy a new dress. 

She wants to wear a dress every day. In fact, she only gets sad if I tell her that she can not wear a dress (when it is particularly cold or rainy out).  Sometimes she will even try to sneak a dress on when I am not looking!  Her favorite item of clothing is a pink tutu given to her by her Uncle Greg and Aunt Jeanne. She would wear it every day if I let her (I won't).  If something is pink, she will wear it.  Sometimes, she will wear purple.  Someone remarked, "Gianna, I think every item of clothing you have is pink!" and looked at me like I had purposely reinforced the "pink propaganda" (for girls) onto my daughter. Let me assure you: I did not.  Pink always has been Gianna's color of choice and I have had very little to do with it.  I will let her wear any color that she wants, and right now, her choice is pink.  

For her birthday, she will tell you that she wants a "pink princess birthday."  It is kind of sad how "pink" and "princess" dominates her thoughts. But I'm not going to try to change it/her. It is not going to hurt anything!

Her choice of reading material is "Cinderella" or "princess" books only.  At first, she wanted nothing but the Disney inspired Cinderella materials. But I finally found a beautiful Cinderella book that is not Disney.  I am not opposed to princesses, but I do get irritated at Disney materials. Have you ever read those stories? It really is disheartening how the "princess" falls in love with the prince and lives happily every after. Happiness really hinges on getting that prince to fall in love with you and marry you. This is a message for a 3 year old? A 3 year old needs to know about falling in love and marriage? If you are looking for some non-Disney princess stories, I recommend "The Paperbag Princess,"  "Cinderella" (a non-Disney version)   and "Princesses on the Run."

Here is a mini-interview:

What is your name?  Mia Gianna.

Do you go by Mia?  Yes.

So people  call you Mia?  Yes. You call me Mia, too.  [Note: everyone - including me - calls her Gianna!]

What is your favorite food? I like French fries. Broccoli.  Umm, can I tell you other things?  I like to play with uh my Barbies.

What's your favorite color? Pink and purple.

What do you like to do? Like, drawing princesses. Umm, I like somersaults and to roll. [here, she starts rolling across the floor until she crashes into the other wall.]

What do you think of your brother Bode? [She's too busy laughing as they roll across the floor together as Bode chants, "Uh oh, we're stuck together, we're stuck together...whoah...we're stuck together." Then Gianna starts crying because Bode hurt her. The interview is over.]

The only annoying thing about Gianna is her tendency to scream when she's upset (usually at something that Bode has done to her).  Her reaction is always a loud, high pitched screechy-scream.  It makes me crazy. Ai yi yi you do not want to be standing near her when she screams.  You don't even want to be in the same room when she screams.

Sometimes, when she laughs, she covers her mouth with her little hand. It is a sweet, lady-like gesture.

When she sleeps, she looks beautiful.  I always check on her at night, and I love looking at her beautiful profile in sleep. It always reminds me of that gorgeous baby that slept on my bed in the hospital. The tiny baby girl that I could not take my eyes off of while she just slept and slept. :)

It is hard to remember her as a tiny baby, because she has always been "so big" while keeping up with her brother. She reminds us sometimes, that she is still just 3, when she gets tired on walks and needs to be carried, or when she falls asleep while resting with me in a chair. The one blessing is that she has kept her chunky thighs and bottom, and still has a rotund baby belly to match. Love it! I am not anxious for this one to lean out. Oh, no.

She is a sweet, happy girl and I love seeing her, and her personality, grow every day.

xo